Labor leader Bill Shorten says there is “no case” for a merger of the SBS and the ABC and has ruled out further funding cuts if he wins government in Saturday’s federal election.
In an interview with SBS World News on Thursday, Mr Shorten said the case “has not been made” to merge the public broadcasters.
“I can’t see any set of circumstances where we would want to do that,” Mr Shorten said.
“SBS has been serving Australians well ever since it was established.”
In February the ABC’s former managing director Mark Scott questioned whether there was a need for both public broadcasters, proposing a “friendly merger” in an address to the National Press Club.
Mr Shorten said he would commit to “backing up” the ABC with more funding for local drama content.
“That will take some of the financial pressures off the ABC who have been dreadfully cut by the Liberals seeking to try and merge [ABC] and SBS,” Mr Shorten said.
Mr Shorten was also asked whether he had managed to convince voters that Labor is ready to govern again after the turmoil of the Rudd/Gillard years.
He said he was pleased with Labor’s “positive policies”.
“We’ve been united for three years," Mr Shorten said.
"We’ve put forward a serious policy agenda for the long term of Australia."
Mr Shorten denied his campaign had been too “one-dimensional and negative” instead pointing to his party’s commitment to infrastructure and development.
“We’re going to make sure that we have a first class NBN,” he said.
“Not a second-rate, slow, buffering nightmare which we’re currently got.”
Mr Shorten also pushed his party’s climate change policies in the interview and reiterated concerns about Medicare, telling voters there was is a “clear choice” at this election.
“You can either choose Malcolm Turnbull or you can choose Medicare, but you can’t choose both.”
SBS World News has also invited Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for a pre-election interview.
